In the formation of composite laminate structures, layers of pre-impregnated material (pre-preg) are typically laid up over each other, compacted and heat set (cured or fused) to form the composite laminate structure. Pre-preg is made of reinforcing fibers such as carbon, glass, aramid, and the like, that are bonded together with a resin system. Often, to achieve a desired laminate characteristic, the plies of pre-preg are layered with their fibers having different orientations in relation to each other to tailor the structural properties of the laminates. For example, in applications for forming high strength-low weight complex shaped structures it may be desired to apply and form one layer of pre-preg at a time on a tool with one or more of the different layers having different fiber orientations than another layer. However, pre-preg (resin pre-impregnated fiber-reinforced material) is typically only supplied by a manufacturer as 0° tape (with all its fibers orientated in one direction in relation to an edge of the pre-preg roll) or 0/90 fabric (continuous fiber in the roll-up direction, 0°, with discontinuous woven or stitched fibers running transverse to the roll-up direction, 90°). It is desired to have an efficient method of forming pre-preg supply rolls with many different fiber orientations so that successive layers of pre-preg can be automatically applied and formed over long narrow structures, with layers having different fiber orientations. Examples of common orientations, besides 0 degree and 0/90 degree, that are needed in a continuous roll format include, but are not limited to, 30°, 45°, 60°, 90°, 120°, 135°, and 150°. Combinations of these are also needed including, but not limited to, 45°/135°, 60°/150°, 30°/120°.
For the reasons stated above and for other reasons stated below, which will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the present specification, there is a need in the art for a process and device to automatically form a continuous bias-ply roll of material having fibers at a select orientation.